Advocacy groups led by major political donors were given significant influence in shaping healthcare policy during the Biden administration, according to government records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents, acquired by the Public Health Reform Alliance and shared with the Washington Examiner, indicate that senior officials in the Biden administration consulted Arnold Ventures and the Commonwealth Fund for advice on health policy. These organizations were also granted access to key decision-makers at private events.
A review of campaign finance data revealed that leaders from both Arnold Ventures and the Commonwealth Fund have donated millions of dollars to Democratic causes over several years, including contributions to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.
“Federal agencies are supposed to be independent of everyone and everything but the president and the law,” said Martin Hoyt, Director of the Public Health Reform Alliance. “Ethical rules and statutes demand that outsiders — in this case, almost insiders, well-connected with back-channel access and ideologically simpatico — don’t have more say than taxpayers in federal government policy. That doesn’t seem to have made a difference to the Biden administration. I hope the new administration understands that some of these Biden appointees have burrowed into the career ranks.”
The records show that Arnold Ventures and the Commonwealth Fund had direct communication with top officials at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Then-CMS Director Meena Seshamani maintained regular contact with both groups. On January 13, 2022, Seshamani referenced ongoing collaboration between CMS and the Commonwealth Fund in an email. The following day, she contacted Arnold Ventures’ healthcare team seeking their input on changes related to Medicare Advantage risk adjustment policies. A staff member from Commonwealth Fund also discussed continued cooperation between their organization and CMS in April 2022 correspondence.
Leaders from these philanthropic organizations maintain strong ties within Democratic circles. Lois Quam, a former healthcare executive who serves on the board of directors for Commonwealth Fund, has contributed approximately $270,000 to Democratic committees since 2016—including $5,600 directly to Biden’s 2020 campaign—according to campaign finance records. Quam previously served as a special adviser at the State Department during President Obama’s tenure and worked under then-first lady Hillary Clinton in the early 1990s.
